Trump Inc: A Chronicle of Presidential Conflicts

CREW is committed to holding government officials, including President Trump, to account when they abuse their power and fail to work in the public interest. Because President Trump refused to divest from his business empire, we tracked interactions these businesses had with the government and those trying to influence it during the president’s first year in office. By doing so, CREW documented more than 500 conflicts of interest for President Trump.

As CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said when President Trump announced he would not divest, President Trump’s failure to adequately address his massive conflict of interest issues means that “[e]very decision he will make as president will be followed by the specter of doubt, and will be questioned as to whether his decision is in the best interest of the American people or the best interest of his bottom line.”

Here we present a timeline of instances in which the government and special interests interacted with President Trump’s private business interests since he took office. The events can be filtered by broad categories in the pull-down menu and narrower categories by checking the boxes below, so we encourage you to take a look at whatever interests you. Check out our report on these conflicts, Profiting from the Presidency: A Year’s Worth of President Trump’s Conflicts of Interest, by clicking here.

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Mar-a-Lago

Trump International Hotel - D.C.

International Businesses

Golf Courses

January 20, 2018

A fundraiser for the Republican Party and President Trump’s reelection campaign celebrating President Trump’s first year in office was held at Mar-a-Lago, with tickets starting at $100,000 per couple. President Trump initially planned to attend but remained in Washington, D.C. to address the government shutdown. The fundraiser was instead headed by Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization Eric Trump, his wife Lara Trump, and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. CNN reported that the president still planned to address the event with a recorded video message.

Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization Eric Trump spoke at a celebration of President Trump’s first year in office, held at Mar-a-Lago. Tickets for the event cost $300 and attendees were given “Trump 2020” hats as souvenirs. A representative for the group that organized the event, the Trumpettes, toldTheWashington Post that all ticket sales would be paid to Mar-a-Lago.

Newsweek reported that the Secret Service spent $26,457.28 on supply rentals from various Palm Beach companies. The expenses for “lights, generators, tables and tents” were likely related to President Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago.

President Trump spent the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend at Mar-a-Lago. He also visited Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach, where he dined with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

President Trump spent the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend at Mar-a-Lago. The White House told reporters that the president was briefed on the false missile alert in Hawaii, and that he met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to discuss China and other trade issues. President Trump also spent about four hours at the Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach.

Politicoreported that the Trump 2020 Campaign, in conjunction with the Republican National Committee, encouraged small dollar donations by offering two donors giving more than 3 dollars the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where they will stay and dine during January 20th celebrations to commemorate President Trump’s inauguration. The Trump campaign made the offer via text message, while the Republican National Committee hosted a contest entry page on its website.

Following an outing at Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach,and a brief return to Mar-a-Lago, President Trump returned to Washington, D.C. after spending 11 days at his resort. Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer accompanied the president aboard Air Force One. According to a White House Press Pool report, a Trump-branded private jet had been parked next to Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport.

President Trump celebrated New Year’s Eve by attending an annual party held at Mar-a-Lago. Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and Trump Organization Executive Vice Presidents Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. also attended. The price of the event increased this year: last year, Mar-a-Lago member tickets were $525 and guests were charged $575. This year, members paid $600 and guests paid $750. In a speech during the event, President Trump told guests that “[w]e’ve done more than any other administration ever in the first year.”

The Palm Beach Postreported that a Trump corporate helicopter, branded with the Trump logo and name, was parked on the official presidential helipad at Mar-a-Lago; the White House stated that the helicopter “[was not] used for an official government function,” despite the circumstance. The helipad is intended for presidential use only.

President Trump closed his Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach course to allow 60 members of the United States Coast Guard to play a tournament. During the event, President Trump praised his golf course, stating that it is “one of the great courses of the world, as you know.” After the outing, President Trump returned to his Mar-a-Lago resort.

President Trump golfed with Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) at Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach for the second consecutive day. Per TheWall Street Journal, President Trump and Sen. Perdue discussed “infrastructure, trade and how to ‘move on the priorities of 2018 and keep the momentum going.’” Afterward, the president returned to his Mar-a-Lago resort.

President Trump golfed with Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) at Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach. Per TheWall Street Journal, President Trump and Sen. Perdue discussed “infrastructure, trade and how to ‘move on the priorities of 2018 and keep the momentum going.’” Professional Golfer Association (PGA) Tour Professional Bryson DeChambau and former PGA Tour Professional Dana Quigley accompanied the president and senator on this outing. Afterward, the president returned to his Mar-a-Lago resort.

President Trump spent a third day at his Mar-a-Lago resort. He also went golfing at Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach. The White House released a photo of President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump next to a Christmas tree at Mar-a-Lago.

Thesuper PAC Great America Movement spent $445 to hold a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, according to a report the committee filed with the Federal Election Commission. The organization’s treasurer, George Guido Lombardi, was President Trump’s neighbor at Trump Tower and reportedly “considers himself a bridge to Mr. Trump for [Lombardi’s] old friends and ideological allies in Europe.”

President Trump dropped in on an Oxbow Carbon corporate event that was taking place at Mar-a-Lago. He greeted attendees and reportedly visited with Mar-a-Lago member Bill Koch. Oxbow Carbon is registered to lobby the federal government, but has not lobbied the Trump administration.

The New York Timesreported that some Mar-a-Lago guests gave President Trump news clips as he visited with guests at the club around Thanksgiving, circumventing filters on news that reaches the president that had been put in place by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.

USA Todayreported that the Secret Service spent $7,470 on golf carts during President Trump’s visit to Mar-a-Lago around Thanksgiving. The spending brings the total the Secret Service has spent on golf cart rentals during Trump’s presidency to $144,975.

President Trump visited the Trump International Golf Course – West Palm Beach – the fourth day in a row he traveled to one of his golf clubs. Later that evening, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump dined at Mar-a-Lago. Other diners nearby included Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and his wife, as well as Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization and his wife, Lara Trump.

TheNew York Times reported that President Trump spoke to members of the military in a video teleconference from “a lavish room at Mar-a-Lago.” He then visited a Coast Guard facility, where he mentioned Mar-a-Lago during remarks. He then visited Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach for a few hours before returning to Mar-a-Lago.

Washington Post’s David Fahrenthold noted that a book on Mar-a-Lago is on sale in the White House Visitor Center. The center is run by the nonprofit White House Historical Association, which reportedly bought 40 copies of the book that retail for $100 apiece.

The Palm Beach Postreported that, according to recently available data, the Department of Labor granted President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club permission to hire 70 foreign workers under the H-2B visa program. Trump National Golf Club – Jupiter, Florida, and Trump National Golf Club – Briarcliff Manor, New York were also granted visas.

USA Todayreported that five members of Trump clubs are members or nominees of President Trump’s administration. Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Robin Bernstein is a founding member of Mar-a-Lago and a member of Trump National Golf Club – West Palm Beach. Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Callista Gingrich, Housing and Urban Development Senior Advisor Adolfo Marzol, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Barry Nigro are members of Trump National Golf Club – Washington, D.C. in Potomac Falls, Virginia. White House Public Liaison Assistant Andrew Giuliani is a member of Trump National Golf Club – Westchester, N.Y.

The White House announced that Robin Bernstein had been nominated as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. At the time of her nomination, Bernstein was reportedly a member of both Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach and Mar-a-Lago.

The Japan External Trade Organization, which is “organized and managed” and funded by the Japanese government, co-hosted the Florida-Japan Aerospace and Aviation Summit in Palm Beach, Florida. The three-day event included a dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

CNN Money reported that the Secret Service paid President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club $63,700. Most of the payments were made between February and April, while President Trump made frequent visits to his South Florida club.

President Trump mentioned his Mar-a-Lago resort in an interview with Forbes, referring to the time that he launched an airstrike against Syria while eating dessert with the president of China at the resort.

Robert L Bartley Gala

September 21, 2017

The Real Deal reported that SM Multifamily LLC secured a $101 million loan from Wells Fargo backed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for SoLē Mia, a “$4 billion mixed-use, master-planned community in North Miami.” Billionaire real estate mogul Richard LeFrak, a co-owner of the LLC, is a Mar-a-Lago member and has been described by TheNew York Times as “one of [President] Trump’s closest friends.”

Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Request show that the federal government paid $1,092 to President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to reserve at the least one of the club’s bedroom suites for two nights in early March while the president was visiting. While who stayed in the room is unknown, “National Security Council” appears at the top of the document provided. The documents also show a combined $880.57 in federal government spending at Trump properties in Panama City, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C.

USA Todayreported that the Secret Service is running out of its annual funding, partially due to the president’s frequent trips to his business properties with his family. The agency’s director said that 1,000 Secret Service agents have already reached their annual salary and overtime limits. The agency has already spent more than $6.6 million in taxpayer money protecting Mar-a-Lago so far this year. Each trip costs taxpayers roughly $1 million.

Bloombergreported Franklin Haney, a billionaire businessman and political mega-donor, had bragged about his frequent dinners with President Trump. Mr. Haney is a member of Mar-a-Lago who made a $1 million dollar donation through an LLC to the president’s inaugural committee. In November, he purchased an out-of-service nuclear power plant in Alabama and has lobbied to maintain tax credits that would benefit his company in the future. In private conversations, Mr. Haney told unnamed sources in the energy industry that he has dined with the president at least a dozen times since the election.

BuzzFeed Newsreported that Mar-a-Lago Guest Reception Manager Heather Rinkus was working for President Trump’s “advance and logistics team”, in preparation for his G-7 Summit appearance in Taormina, Italy. BuzzFeed News was unable to determine whether it was the Trump Organization or the government that had paid for Rinkus’s work, or whether she had resigned from her position at Mar-a-Lago. Nevertheless, Rinkus had purportedly been granted “an official White House email address and government-issued phone.”

CNN reported that billionaire Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who contributed $7 million to pro-Trump super PACs in 2016, spoke privately in April with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago “about some regulations he considers onerous, including the Department of Labor’s overtime rules.”

TheWashington Postreported that the “star power of the presidency” has been a windfall for charities holding events at Mar-a-Lago, which have seen an increase in ticket sales, and for the Trump Organization, which charges by the number of guests. “Now that you have all this security, it just creates [this sense of], ‘You’re special by being there,’ ” said the executive director of one nonprofit that held a January event at the club. The Post found more than 45 instances of groups renting the venue since the election.

In an interview with TIME, President Trump spoke glowingly of Mar-a-Lago as a setting for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “And I told you we had tremendous dialogue at Mar-a-Lago,” President Trump said. “And Mar-a-Lago is a great place for the dialogue because there’s a warmth to Mar-a-Lago that you just don’t find anywhere else. You can sit down in a chair and just talk for hours. Where in some places you don’t have that.”

A The New York Times story investigated how President Trump’s new position has changed local government’s interactions with his domestic businesses. One Trump Organization consultant noted the increased ease in approving construction plans is “surreal.” Mar-a-Lago, the source of numerous noise complaints and local litigation, has had multiple requests approved by Palm Beach County since President Trump’s election. A Democrat on the county board said he has been cautioned by community members that “[i]f you push too hard, there might be some consequences.”

Politico reported that President Trump and his senior aides joke that Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Golf Club – Bedminster, NJ, have been “symbolically transformed” into the “winter” and “summer” White Houses. Mar-a-Lago members are expecting President Trump to return to his South Florida club next weekend for a Mother’s Day brunch marking the end of the season.

The conservative group Judicial Watch released documents showing that the costs associated with using Air Force One for two of President Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago in early February and March were more than $1.2 million. TheAssociated Pressnoted the costs do not include “expenses for Secret Service protection or support vehicles provided by the Department of Defense, which must be airlifted into place.”

In an interview with The Economist, President Trump referred to three of his properties, Mar-a-Lago, Trump Turnberry in Scotland, and Trump International Golf Links and Hotel – Doonbeg, Ireland, which he called “great property.” “I own Turnberry in Scotland,” President Trump told the interviewer, using the resort to make a point about taxes.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters that the blog post promoting Mar-a-Lago that was posted on the ShareAmerica website was “researched and written by staff members of the International Information Programs bureau” and that it “was not reviewed at the time it was sent out” by anyone outside of that office. He said it was “meant to provide historical information and context relevant to the conduct of U.S. diplomacy and was not intended to endorse or promote any private enterprise.”

The State Department removed a blog post from its ShareAmerica website that had promoted President Trump’s private club, Mar-a-Lago, as the “winter White House.” “The intention of the article was to inform the public about where the president has been hosting world leaders,” read a statement that replaced the post. “We regret any misperception and have removed the post.”

On “Meet The Press,” White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said the American public shouldn’t know who the paying members are at Mar-a-Lago or the Trump National Golf Club – Bedminster, NJ, even though the members have access to the president. “No. This is a private business,” Mr. Priebus said. “It’s a private organization. It’s a private club. I don’t think that has anything to do with it.”

At a press briefing White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked about President Trump’s meeting with former Colombian Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Andres Pastrana at Mar-a-Lago, which the reporter noted may have been set up by Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office. Mr. Spicer said he was “unaware of the circumstances of that.” Senator Marco Rubio later denied setting up the meeting.

In interviews with The Wall Street Journal, Eric Trump attributed the post-election doubling of Mar-a-Lago’s fees to market forces.He also claimed to have limited business talk with with his father to “chitchat,” which he suggested could include the state of the greens on the president’s golf course in Scotland. Noting he could provide his father with quarterly reports on the company’s finances, Mr. Trump claimed the president would “probably never ask” for them.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended an Easter brunch and egg hunt at Mar-a-Lago. Eric Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. were in attendance with their families. President Trump flew back to Washington, D.C. that evening. First Lady Melania Trump, Barron, Donald Trump, Jr., his wife Vanessa Trump and their two children, Tiffany Trump and her partner, Eric Trump, his wife Lara Trump, and Melania Trump’s parents were also on the Air Force One flight to Joint Base Andrews.

President Trump went to the Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach. He stayed at the club for about four and a half hours. On the way back to Mar-a-Lago, the motorcade took a longer route, which appeared to be an attempt to avoid a march calling for President Trump to release his tax returns.

The Palm Beach Postreported that the president’s connection to Mar-a-Lago has caused a boost in ticket sales for charity events held at the club. “People will pay huge amounts of money to have access to the president. If you can donate to a charity and have access, that’s a win in my book,” one donor said.

According to Colombian media reports, former Colombian Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Andres Pastrana met with President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The meeting, which was not formally scheduled, sparked controversy as the two former presidents are at odds with current Colombian President Manuel Santos over a peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The White House later said the two former presidents were at Mar-a-Lago “with a member from the club and briefly said hello when the president walked past them.”

President Trump left Mar-a-Lago, arriving at Washington, D.C. that evening. He flew on Air Force One with Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Joe Hagin, and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster in attendance.

President Trump had a “friendly chat” at Mar-a-Lago with billionaires David and Bill Koch, who were dining at Mar-a-Lago with Newsmax CEO and long-time Trump confidanteChris Ruddy. Bill Koch is a member of Mar-a-Lago.

According to Politico, President Trump reportedly dined with First Lady Melania Trump and Steve and Christine Schwarzman at Mar-a-Lago. Mr. Schwarzman, the co-founder of Blackstone Group, is one of President Trump’s advisors and the chairman of President Trump’s President’s Strategic and Policy Forum.

A private Trump-branded helicopter landed at Mar-a-Lago. It was the first helicopter to use the helipad constructed in order for Marine One to fly President Trump to the property, which would decrease traffic from the president’s Mar-a-Lago visits. President Trump was not in the helicopter.

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping continued their visit, speaking briefly in front of the press at an expanded bilateral meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Cabinet members and White House staff at the meeting with President Xi included United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, among others. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and President Trump all mentionedMar-a-Lago in official remarks. President Trump said it was “a tremendous honor to have [President Xi ] in the United States and in Mar-a-Lago.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arrived at Mar-a-Lago. They were greeted by President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, which President Trump tweeted from his official @POTUS account

The press pool was escorted into Mar-a-Lago to see the dining setup for the state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping. White House aides, including White House Director of Strategic Communications Hope Hicks, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, and Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump, wereseenat Mar-a-Lago. The press pool was also informed that Defense Secretary Mattis and Secretary of State Tillerson were present at the for-profit property.

During dinner at Mar-a-Lago, Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner sat next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. China preliminarily approved three trademarks for Ivanka Trump’s company on the very same day, according to TheAssociated Press.

The website for the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom reposted the State Department’s ShareAmerica blog post promoting Mar-a-Lago as the “winter White House.” The Facebook pages of U.S. Embassy-Tirana and the State Department’s Economic & Business Affairs office also posted links to the ShareAmerica blog post about Mar-a-Lago.

TheWall Street Journal reported on the atmosphere at President Trump’s golf clubs, quoting a former Palm Beach County Republican Party chairman, Sid Dinerstein, saying, the Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach “has the ultimate perk—the president is going to show up.” Mr. Dinerstein recalled a recent buffet at the club that was attended by the president and was “overflowing” with paying guests trying to see him. The Journal also quoted an expert on Palm Beach real estate saying the doubling of Mar-a-Lago’s joining fee was “completely contrarian to the rest of the country clubs market.”

ShareAmerica, a platform run by the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs, published a blog post titled, “Mar-a-Lago: The winter White House.” The post previewed President Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago and noted that the private club had “become well known as the president frequently travels there to work or host foreign leaders.”

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked about calls from New York and Florida for federal funds to pay for Trump Tower and Mar-a-Lago’s security. Mr. Spicer defended the spending, saying the Secret Service determines “a security aspect” when the president and his family travels. Mr. Spicer said it was ironic that President Trump had “just donated a significant amount of money of his salary back to the federal government.” “At what point does he do enough?” Mr. Spicer asked, adding, “I think he’s stepped down from his business. He’s walked away from a lot.” Mr. Spicer also mentioned Mar-a-Lago during the briefing.

Lantana, Florida Police Chief Sean Scheller broke the news of the dates of the first summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Trump, informing the Lantana Town Council that President Xi would be in town April 6th and 7th. Police Chief Scheller, who reportedly would be responsible for some of the police security work during the summit, explained that while Presidents Xi and Trump would be meeting at Mar-a-Lago, President Xi would be staying at Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa.

The Republican Party of Palm Beach County held its annual Lincoln Day Dinner at Mar-a-Lago, as it has for the last four years. While President Trump was in Washington, D.C., First Lady Melania Trump made a brief appearance. It was called “the most overtly political shindig at Mar-a-Lago since its host moved into the White House.”

The Government Accountability Office, in reply to Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) request to review “security, site-related travel expenses, and other matters related to the President’s stays outside the White House at Mar-a-Lago,” agreed to investigate how classified information is protected when President Trump is travelling, if and how the Secret Service uses security screening measures at Mar-a-Lago, travel-related expenses, and if the U.S. Treasury has received payments from the President’s hotels.

The opening cocktail reception for the 2017 Distressed Investing Summit was held at Mar-a-Lago, which was touted in the summit’s promotionalmaterials as “the new Winter White House.” The summit was organized by The M&A Advisor, a financial company.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked if President Trump was going to curb Mar-a-Lago trips in light of concerns about cutting the budget, replying, “the President is—very clearly that he’s worked seven days a week. This is where he goes to see his family. He brings people down there. This is part of being President.”

Eric Trump talked to Forbes about how his father’s presidency has affected Trump business. “From a business standpoint, is the presidency beneficial?” Mr. Trump asked. “You have to look at it both ways. If you’re talking about existing assets, they’re doing amazing. If you’re talking about as a whole, we’ve made sacrifices in order to allow him—and he’s made sacrifices in order to allow him—to take the biggest office in the world.” Forbesreported President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property was valued at approximately $175 million, a 15 percent increase from six months prior and a $25 million increase since the election.

The president’s motorcade departed Mar-a-Lago for the airport. The motorcade stopped at a crowd of supporters, where President Trump opened the door and waved to the crowd. One of the supporters said he shook several hands.

Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Representative Mark Meadows (R-NC) spent three hours at Mar-a-Lago. They met with President Trump’s staff to discuss the Republican healthcare overhaul bill. A White House official confirmed the visit, but said that Sen. Cruz did not meet with President Trump. He instead met with White House staff, including White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.

President Trump met with Marvel CEO Isaac Perlmutter, who also serves as an advisor on veterans affairs for President Trump. President Trump, the First Lady, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dined with Mr. Perlmutter and his wife. The dinner was reported to be about the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin was not in attendance. Vice President Pence joined the dining party for dessert after his speech in Palm Beach.

At a veterans affairs listening session, President Trump said he would be holding “a major meeting” about veterans issues later that night “at what we call affectionately the Southern White House,” referring to Mar-a-Lago. “Seems to be the most convenient location,” President Trump said. “Everybody always wants to go to the Southern White House.” The meeting did not end up happening that night.

President Trump spent a few minutes at a Gateway for Cancer Research charity event held at Mar-a-Lago. He congratulated Patrick Park, who was receiving the Palm Beach Legend Award from the organization. Mr. Park was reportedly being considered for U.S. ambassador to Austria.

The Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association held a “meet and greet” event at Mar-a-Lago to introduce Canadian hedge fund Castle Ridge Asset Management to Palm Beach. The invitation noted that “[s]hould the president be in residence, another letter will follow explaining the upgraded entry/security procedures.” David S. Goodboy, the founder of the association, confirmed President Trump was invited and that he hoped the president would attend: “It would be great P.R. for us.”

In an interview with RealClearPolitics, Christopher Ruddy, a member of Mar-a-Lago, said President Trump had asked him for advice on potential appointments. “Since the election, he’ll ask me about the job they’re doing and about potential appointments,” Mr. Ruddy said. “He’s asked me to make recommendations for appointments.” Mr. Ruddy said he declined to make any recommendations.

The Independent, a British newspaper, reported that Mar-a-Lago staff refused to answer questions about how many membership applications had been filed since President Trump took office relative to previous years. “That’s an inappropriate question and that information is private,” the club’s executive administrative assistant said.

Politico reported that longtime members of Mar-a-Lago were upset with changes at the club resulting from the increased security requirements and the influx of people coming to the club to see President Trump. “Everyone wants to be close to the president,” a member who joined in spring 2016 told Politico. Michael Barnett, chairman of the Palm Beach County GOP, said an upcoming fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago sold out early even “without confirming a speaker.” “People want to just come to Mar-a-Lago. They want to be able to say ‘I had dinner at the president’s house,’” he said.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions greeted Mar-a-Lago members while visiting for the day. He and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, met with President Trump before diningwith Attorney General Sessions, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon, White House counsel Don McGahn and White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller. They discussed the implementation plans for the administration’s second attempt to temporarily prevent people from majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.

President Trump flew down to Mar-a-Lago for the fourth weekend in his presidency. Others on the flight included Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), though Sen. Rubio does not appear to have joined President Trump at Mar-a-Lago. White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus were originally scheduled for the flight to Palm Beach, but were taken off the manifest.

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer denied that President Trump was briefed on the North Korean missile situation in front of guests at Mar-a-Lago while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Mr. Spicer said that President Trump was instead briefed in a SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) in the resort.

At Mar-a-Lago, President Trump announced his choice of Lt. General H.R. McMaster as his new National Security Adviser. President Trump, Lt. General McMaster, and National Security Council Chief of Staff Keith Kellogg spoke together in a Mar-a-Lago common area for roughly three minutes. The common area was closed to members of Mar-a-Lago that afternoon.

At Mar-a-Lago, President Trump interviewed candidates to replacefired National Security Adviser retired Lt. General Michael Flynn. He also met with domestic policy advisers. At a press briefing in Palm Beach, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to comment when asked who was paying for the National Security Adviser candidates’ and domestic policy advisers’ travel expenses. She also mentioned that some of the National Security Adviser candidates also visited the Trump International Golf Club – West Palm Beach.

American View, the official magazine of the U.S. Embassy Japan posted a recap of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Mar-a-Lago. The story noted that Prime Minister Abe was the first foreign dignitary “to be hosted by the Trumps at the ‘winter White House,’ Mar-a-Lago, in Florida” and that “Trump and Abe took the day of February 11 to play golf at one of Trump’s courses in south Florida.”

White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino, Jr. posted severalphotos featuring the president’s private club on his official White House Twitter account. The the location of the post was tagged as Mar-a-Lago.

That evening, President Trump took a call that detailed a North Korean missile launch at the dining area of Mar-a-Lago. In public view of Mar-a-Lago’s members, President Trump, Prime Minister Abe, and their attendant staff discussed how to respond to the missile launch. Richard DeAgazio, a Mar-a-Lago visitor, photographed the event and posted it to Facebook. President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released a joint statement from Mar-a-Lago condemning North Korea’s missile launch.

President Trump flew to Mar-a-Lago for the second weekend in his presidency, bringing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with him. President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife arrived in Florida together on Air Force One.

On his official White House Twitter account, White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino, Jr. posted video of President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arriving at the president’s private club. Scavino, Jr. later posted a photo on his official White House Twitter account of New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft joining President Trump and Prime Minister Abe at dinner. President Trump also posted a photo of the dinner on his Instagram account. All three social media posts were tagged at Mar-a-Lago.

President Trump posed and spoke at the wedding of Carl Henry Lindner IV, which was taking place at Mar-a-Lago. The groom’s father, Carl Henry Lindner III, contributed $100,000 to two pro-Trump super PACs during the 2016 campaign. At the wedding, President Trump commented, “They’ve been members of this club for a long time. They’ve paid me a fortune.”

During a background press call on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the White House, a senior administration official detailed the nature of Prime Minister Abe’s trip to Mar-a-Lago, set to take place the following day. “The Prime Minister and his wife will be guests of President Trump for the weekend,” the official said. “ And I imagine that there will be a fair bit of golf involved, as well as more time together eating and just relaxing really down at Mar-a-Lago.” The official also said President Trump would pay for Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Mar-a-Lago.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer addressed Prime Minister Abe’s visit to Mar-a-Lago during a press briefing, calling the trip “a gift” and noting that Prime Minister Abe would be President Trump’s “guest at Mar-a-Lago” while the rest of the Japanese delegation stayed elsewhere. Mr. Spicer also responded to a question about White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway’s promotion of Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, saying she had “been counseled and that’s all we’re going to go with. She’s been counseled on that subject, and that’s it.”

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer defended President Trump’s criticism of Nordstrom for dropping his daughter’s product line, saying the president “has every right to stand up for his family and applaud their business activities, their success.” Mr. Spicer was also asked how Prime Minister Abe’s trip to Mar-a-Lago would be financed. He said he would report back.

During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer noted that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would travel with President Trump to Mar-a-Lago the weekend of February 10, saying, “the President has also invited him down to Mar-a-Lago, and the two leaders will travel there for the weekend.”

The American Cancer Society, whose affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, lobbies the federal government, held a dinner for sponsors of its “Rock Palm Beach” event at Mar-a-Lago.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the Red Cross ball hosted at Mar-a-Lago. A permit submitted before the 2016 gala at Mar-a-Lago estimated that it would cost about $400,000 to put on the event. The ball was also attended by White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and then-Commerce Secretary nominee Wilbur Ross as well as the “ambassadors of Switzerland, Hungary, Afghanistan, Italy, Denmark, Peru, Colombia, and Sweden,” multiple American ambassadors, and nobility from Italy, France, and England.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned Mar-a-Lago in his press briefing, saying, “this weekend the President will be shifting the operation of the White House down to the ‘Winter White House’ at Mar-a-Lago.” He promised to “provide readouts as they occur.”

President Trump flew to the Mar-a-Lago resort for the weekend, bringing Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon. Both staffers stayed at guest rooms at Mar-a-Lago. Shortly after President Trump took office, the private club reportedly added “45” to the sleeve of the official tennis shirts sold on site, but soon stopped selling the shirts referring to the 45th president.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned Mar-a-Lago in his press briefing, saying that reporters who traveled with the president to Florida that weekend would “get a glimpse of summer at the ‘Winter White House’ in Mar-a-Lago.”

Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in his press briefing, referring to it as the “Winter White House” and previewing the president’s first of many trips to the for-profit property.